The Demon Slayer of Coruscant
by Roughdragon
Summary: Akaso did not know how he ended up in the strange, alien world where swords of light replaced steel blades. But he was determined to find his way back, no matter what side of the force beckoned.


Akaso did not know how he managed to fall into the portal. One second, he was in the icy forest. The red-haired demon was in his grasp, his silver nichirin blade merely inches from separating head from body. The next? He heard a sound akin to flesh tearing, and he landed on something smooth, his sword merely slicing air. The first thing he noticed was the smell. The rank scent of alcohol mixed with other, unknown substances assaulted his nose, watered his eyes. The next thing he noticed was his surroundings. He was in some kind of tavern, but everything was foreign. Metal tables, metal chairs, metal… people?

Akaso began to notice that he was the only human inside the tavern. Not that the place was empty, but that everyone else around him was simply not human. Green creatures, horned creatures, multi-headed creatures and multi-limbed creatures.

_Is this… the demon headquarters? _A jolt of fear struck him like a nail to the gut. He couldn't imagine what these demons would do to a mere _Kanoto _such as him. He spotted a strange doorway behind him, and slowly, he made his way towards it, blade raised and ready to strike any who came close.

_If I'm going to die here, I will make sure I at least draw their blood! _He expected any one of them to move from their seats, to stop his escape, to devour him where he stood. But that didn't happen. He reached the door and it opened by itself, like the eye of a lizard. Sweat matted his skin to his clothes, dripping down his forehead. His heart beat like a drum. But eventually, he made his way out. The door shut with a hiss, and he sheathed his blade with shaking hands.

_They let me out. Why? _Turning around, he found himself surrounded by a city larger than any he could have imagined.

_I've seen the city. I've been to Kyoto. This place makes it seem like some town square. _It was almost sensory overload. Flying carriages soared through the air by the hundreds, even more went past the street in packed droves. Dozens of "demons" bumped past him, but they didn't seem to notice or care about him. He calmed down a bit.

_Okay, maybe they aren't demons. But they certainly aren't people._ Just then, a human walked past, cloaked in ragged robes. Akaso couldn't help but get his attention.

"Hey!" He grabbed the man's arm, who in turn slapped it away. The stranger glared at him, and Akaso saw that his face was covered in scars.

"What do you want, kid?" His voice was low, more like a rumble than a sound.

"Sir, do you know where I am? I seem to have gotten lost." The scarred man took a second to inspect Akaso, his black corps uniform and silver-tinged hair. But his eyes lingered on the sword that Akaso hung on his belt.

"Yes, you do seem lost." The man's voice pitched a bit higher. "That's a nice blade you've got there. Mind if I take a look?" Akaso kept his hand on the hilt, suspicious. The scarred man seemed to understand, raising his hands.

"Sorry, I seem to have overstepped my bounds. Let's make a deal. You let me look at your sword, and I'll give you a little tour of Coruscant. This level, at least."

_So that's the name of the city. Seems foreign. Anyways, it shouldn't hurt to give him a look, even though I don't trust him a bit. _Akaso drew the blade slowly, the silver nichirin glinting strangely in the alien streetlights. The stranger let out a whistle and turned to walk down the street. His hand beckoned Akaso to come with, and he followed, sheathing the blade once again.

"That's some high quality steel. Where did a kid like you get his hands on such fine craftsmanship?" Akaso remembered the swordsmith Haganezuka, his strange demeanor, his threats to him if he ever broke his sword.

"It was issued to me by the Demon Slaying Corps." The man laughed.

"'Demon Slaying Corps'? You kill demons for a living, kid?" The man turned into an alleyway, and Akaso followed, distracted by the man's incredulity. He couldn't blame him for not knowing demons existed, but he was telling the truth nonetheless.

"It's sort of a… secret order. Not many can join." The scarred man chuckled again.

"So like the Jedi?" Akaso wasn't familiar with the word.

"Jedi?" He asked.

"A high order of Republic goon. They swing their lightsabers around for a living." It was then Akaso realized that they'd strayed far from the populated street. It was the darkest of alleyways he'd ever been in.

_He wants to rob me._ He turned to try and get away, but two more figures blocked his exit, about ten paces from where he stood. One wore a mask, and the other looked like a big lizard. The scarred man turned to face Akaso, a knife in hand.

_I am so stupid. _The scarred man held a long knife, the lizard-man wielded some kind of baton, and the masked one held some kind of small, tubular device.

"Sorry, kid. Your sword'll nab us a good sum of credits from the market. Nothing personal, I swear." Akaso felt his blood boil, his breaths shallow. He controlled himself, focusing on his breathing. Anger and betrayal filled his senses, but he harnessed it and forced it all into his blade.

_Break them! _The world seemed to move in slow motion, the lizard-man acting first. He charged forth, baton raised. Akaso saw him from a mile away, and deflected the clumsy blow with a swift parry. He saw his opening, and took it.

_Breath of Iron, First Form: Crushing Blow! _Akaso crushed the lizard's arm with a heavy strike from the back of his sword, sending the assailant crumpling to the ground, hissing at his shattered wrist. The next was the masked one, who raised the strange device. Akaso realized that it must have been some kind of gun.

Before he could pull the trigger, the demon slayer charged forth, covering the distance in less than a second.

_Second Form: Crushing Blow! _His sword again smashed his opponent's arm, but not before he pulled the trigger, sending a red bolt of light sailing past Akaso's head.

_What in the world was that? That was not a gun! _He had no time to think, however, as the scarred man was right next to him, ready to stab him through the heart. Akaso was ready, however. He turned the blade edge-wise, and prepared to meet the man's strike with his own.

_Third Form: Sparking Strike! _Akaso's blade skimmed the edge of his attacker's knife, producing sparks that hit the man's face and eyes. Blinded, his attack lost its focus, allowing Akaso to follow through with his own strike, which sliced up through the man's neck. Blood poured through the wound, and the scarred man cupped his neck, unable to process what had just happened. Akaso immediately felt guilt encase his heart in a jagged prison.

_Damnit, I didn't mean to cut him too! I just wanted to blind him for a bit and run! _But it was too late. The scarred man fell to the floor in a growing pool of his own blood. Akaso was conflicted. Did the mean really deserve to die?

_He was a demon in his own right, but I could have ended it without killing him! _Before he could think of something to justify his action, he heard someone enter the alleyway. He turned and saw a young woman of orange skin and blue-white "hair". She held two silver devices in her hands, and with a sound that made him shiver, two glowing blades extended out, a green aura covering both in a deadly glow.

Akaso readied his sword, and prepared to fight.


End file.
